James beadlby law and chaeles moonby



J. B. LAW & 0. MOONEY.

No. 332,912. Patented Dec. 22, 1885.

I @J Q RI IIIIIIIIM'IM NITED STATES PATENT Fries.

JAMES BRADLEY LAW AND CHARLES MOONEY, OF DARLINGTON, S. C.

WAGON-BODY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 332,912, dated December 22, 1885.

Application filed July 13, 1855. Serial No. 171,643. (No model.)

' To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JAMES B. LAW and CHARLES MOONEY, citizens of the United States, residing at Darlington, in the county of Darlington and State of South Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in iVagon-Bodies, of which the following is a description.

This invention is an improvement in wagonbodies, and has for an object to provide a simple and cheap construction by which to secure the side-boards in place, and by which to secure the tail-gate guide or keeper.

The invention consists in certain novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a section of a wagon-body constructed according to our invention. Fig. 2 is a crosssectional view of the wagon-body. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the clamp; Fig. 4, a detail view of the tailgate keeper; and Fig. 5 is a detail view of the clamp and tail-gate keeper.

The base or bottom A of the body is provided with the cross-piece or support a, fixed to its under side, and usually projected beyond its opposite side edges, as shown. On the bottom are mounted the side-boards B, which may be of any suit-able height. The clamps O are formed from rods of metal bent between their ends to form the arms 0 O, the extremities 0 of which are threaded, as shown, to receive the nuts 0.

In practice the clamp is fitted over the side of the body, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the inner arm passing through the bottom A and the cross-bar a, and the outer arm is passed down through the cross-bar, the arms being secured by the nuts turned up thereon against the under side of the cross-bar. WVhere desired, metal wear-plates may be secured, as shown in Fig.1, on the upper edge of the sideboards, to receive the bearing of the clamps.

By this construction it will be seen the sideboard is rigidly held in position, and is braced on its inner and outer sides alike, so that no lateral strain can be exerted against the inner or outer sides at any part thereof which will not be firmly and securely braced against, so that the danger of splitting will be avoided,

the body may be more readily taken to pieces and adjusted for use, and may be readily packed for transportation, the double-armed clamps being tied in a bundle by themselves. These clamps may be made of bar or rod iron of any desired cross-sectional shape.

Ordinarily the tail-gate guide or keeper of wagons is formed of parallel vertical strips or cleats slightly separated and secured permanently to the inner faces of the side-boards. This is objectionable, because such parts present an obstruction to the close packing of the device for transportation or other desired purpose.

In our invention the keepers D are formed of metal, made with a back plate and right angle wings-thus Ll-in cross-section, and fitted to receive the ends of the tail-gate. These keepers are held to the side-boards by the inner arm of the clamp, as shown, and may be conveniently attached and detached at will, and can be secured in bundles for purposes of transportation, as will be seen.

It will be noticed that the double-armed clamps efficiently perform the functions of fastenings and braces for the side-boards. The upper edge of the side-board fits within the crown of the clamp, which bears upon said upper edge.

In operation the side-board resists inward pressure by a direct pull or tensile strain on the outer arm of the clamps, and outward pressure is resisted by a direct tensile strain on the inner arm. This strain, in each instance being exerted in the direction of greatest strength of the clamp, is firmly and securely resisted. 5

arms passed down on opposite sides of the bottom, the side-board, the keeper, and a side-board and secured to the bottom, all ardouble-armed clamp having one arm fitted ranged and operating substantially as dewithin the keeper, whereby the latter is seseribed, whereby the said side-board, having cured in position, substantially as set forth.

5 its upper edge bearing within the crowns of 7 JAMES BRADLEY LAW. the clamps will resist inward and outward pressure by a tensile strain on respectively CHARLES MOONEY the outer and inner arms thereof, substantially Vitnesses:

as set forth.

J. S. FLOYD, O. S. N E'ITLES.

2. The combination, in a wagon-body, 0f the 

